Good morning Jackson County researchers! I have DEFINITELY hit a brick wall with my husband's grt grt grandmother, Martha (Mattie) Irwin who m. George K. Tozer in Cook County, Illinois, in 1860. The 1880 census confirms she was b. in Illinois ... The only record of that marriage is an index that was made by a gentleman named Fink AFTER all the records were burned in the Chicago fire. As I understand, the index was made largely from newspaper notices. I contacted the library and they reported that the article just announces the marriage and it is hardly readable. Due to the fire there are no birth records where I might find parents. I have SEARCHED AND SEARCHED the 1850, 1860 and 1870 census records ... and I do not find her or her family before OR after her marriage. Only the 1880 census ..... and she, husband and 2 daughters are in Newport, Jackson Co. She died a few after the census ... and I ASSUME she is buried there. But there are NO DEATH records as I understand. HAS ANYONE ANY CLUES AS TO MY NEXT STEP? I have rec'd some great help in the past ... and hope someone out there has a suggestions. THANKS in advance. Karen Mulder

Illinois statewide marriage index online has the marriage of Tozer and Irwin as 10 1 1860 Cook Co. that may help. --- Bob and Karen Mulder <karmulder@bellsouth.net> wrote: > Good morning Jackson County researchers! > > I have DEFINITELY hit a brick wall with my husband's > grt grt grandmother, Martha (Mattie) Irwin who m. > George K. Tozer > in Cook County, Illinois, in 1860. The 1880 census > confirms she was b. in Illinois ... > > The only record of that marriage is an index that > was made by a gentleman named > Fink AFTER all the records were burned in the > Chicago fire. As I understand, the index was made > largely from > newspaper notices. I contacted the library and they > reported that the article just announces the > marriage and it > is hardly readable. > > Due to the fire there are no birth records where I > might find parents. I have SEARCHED AND SEARCHED > the > 1850, 1860 and 1870 census records ... and I do not > find her or her family before OR after her marriage. > Only the 1880 census ..... and she, husband and 2 > daughters are in Newport, Jackson Co. > > She died a few after the census ... and I ASSUME she > is buried there. But there are NO DEATH records as > I > understand. > > HAS ANYONE ANY CLUES AS TO MY NEXT STEP? I have > rec'd some great help in the past ... and hope > someone > out there has a suggestions. > > THANKS in advance. > > Karen Mulder > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email > to ARJACKSO-request@rootsweb.com with the word > 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and > the body of the message > charlotte c smith